the 13th scholarship

[urohawk]

something I have been thinking about for next year...

Give you 2 scenarios. Both assume that everybody currently playing is coming back and all 4 freshman signed will play. Archie plays next year. Tucker is the question.

Scenario #1. Tucker is back. Cully Payne gets hurt and is out 3-4 games. Then you have a combo of Tucker, Lickliter and Brust filling in at the PG position.

Scenario #2. Tucker does not comeback. We sign a JUCO PG with good handles and gives us some quickness. Probably not a great scorer. Then Gatens gets hurt and misses 3-4 games. We have either Brust or Marble starting for Gatens. Also then the JUCO PG could play point and Payne could move over and play some 2-guard.

It is pretty clear to me Scenario#2 would be easier to recover from. Maybe the coaches have other information like Marble could play point or Brust is more ready for PG than Cully is this year. Thoughts?

 

[hawkeye12345]

You're assuming that the JUCO point guard is actually D1 caliber. I think it's a little late to try and bring in a PG that can learn this 'system' and run the offense.

Next years lineup will look something like this:

PG - Payne
SG - May
SF - Gatens
PF - Fuller
C - Cole

Having Tucker back is important because he can stretch the D more than May can currently - not saying May can't shoot, but he and Gatens play a similar game and the D's know this.


The best thing about next years team may not be the overall talent level but it will be the deepest team that Iowa has fielded in years. This to me is the most important aspect of the team.

 

[webguy96]

Don't judge too quickly as I have a gut feeling that May will focus his off-season program at developing a quicker first step when he puts it on the floor with the dribble while also developing a stronger off-hand which means we could all be in for some highlight dunks once he starts taking it strong to the rack or at least draw the foul while Gatens will continue to work on the mid-range pull-up jumper that has provided some extra offense this season.